The Carrollton Bus Disaster | A Short Documentary | Fascinating Horror

[@orangehoof]

I applaud Mr. Pearman's bravery. By trying to use the fire extinguisher, he was providing time for the rest of the passengers to exit and maybe realized that he, himself, would probably not survive. It always amazes me how few drunk drivers actually die in all the mayhem they cause. Yet so many innocent people die from their recklessness. If you want to get drunk, do it at home. If you want to have a good time out, limit your drinking and if you are going with some buddies, appoint a "designated driver" to make sure everyone gets home safely.

[@Straswa]

Well said.

[@evil1by1]

Or call a fucking taxi. Amazes me that people can blow 200 at the bar but suddenly are too broke for a 40 taxi. Goes to show what a drunk thinks about others. Your not even worth 40

[@stevie-ray2020]

@@evil1by1 In many places taxi-drivers will refuse to take a passenger who is extremely drunk for fear that they'd throw up inside their cab, meaning having to return to their base to clean it, which costs them effort & lost fares!

[@stevie-ray2020]

One reason drunk-drivers will often survive is the 'rag-doll' effect, where their muscles are relaxed & are thrown around limply, as opposed to the natural reaction to brace yourself in a collision!

[@txmetalhead82xk]

Yes, it is astonishing how he survived. Maybe, he passed out after the impact?

[@SpacePirateK]

This one hits close to home, like real close. The people in this wreck were from my hometown. I even had a teacher in middle school who survived the wreck that night and he always used the accident as a way to explain to the students how drunk driving can ruin your life and the lives of others.

[@trashman4444]

While I'm not " from " Radcliff , I did live at Ft. Knox 74-79, and am around the same age as many of the victims. When we heard about this event ( my Dad was stationed in Germany in '88 but still had friends in Radcliff and Muldraugh " it was world shattering to realize that kids I may have met 10 years prior were gone .

[@waltershumate5777]

I have a friend from wisconson that went to school with some of the children who lost thier fathers, and 1 an uncle from the Edmund Fitzgerald. Losses like those are so tough on the survivors.

[@notagarbage6728]

The problem is not drunk driving the problem is drinking when you guys will understand I don't think you will ever . thats why I m extra careful

[@Undercore-nx1fe]

I used to work in that county as an EMT. I worked with two medics that had responded to the call. They described the bodies being charred and unrecognizable. It also changed our departments way of handling mass causality events and resource management.

[@truthseeker2321]

As a trucker who doesn't live in that area, I've seen plenty of accidents just in that stretch of interstate, mostly at night. The fog can get unbelievably thick off of the Kentucky River , causing motorists who do have common sense, to slow down way lower than the speed limit. I remember one bad accident right at the bus tragedy site, where a car stuffed itself under the rear of a flatbed trailer that was moving slowly through the thick fog. He must have been going way faster than the 70 mph speed limit, which by the way, is too damn fast to be driving in that thick of a fog.

[@whitewolf8051]

"Hey, you're too drunk to drive!" "Its alright, I'm just going to drive." "Oh alright that's fine then."

[@F3udF1st]

He would've convinced me too, speech 100.

[@pollypockets508]

I know. Crazy.

[@sideswipe604]

I can only assume that his friends were also drunk and not thinking straight.

[@georgedoughly8682]

His friends are very stupid 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@FrostySumo]

Yeah what the fuck those friends of his have to have some of the blame for this. It's one thing if your friend decides to drive drunk and you don't realize it it's another if you know they're too drunk and you take their keys away. At that point you taking on the responsibility to make sure that person does not drive (exceptions of course if they steal the keys back or find another way to drive). Call them a cab. From what my parents say people were really nonchalant about drunk driving when they grew up. It's a big deal. Probably one of the worst drugs you could drive on.

[@iusedtowrite6667]

Drunk driving incidents scare me. You could do everything right and still lose you life just cause someone wanted to drive drunk.

[@flyingmintbunny1286]

Exactly.. so scary.. a month ago my mums friend (very close family friend ) got hit by a drunk driving teenage girl who and i kid you not, got no jail time and only a short interview because she was crying and was soo sorry.. her husband became paralysed from the waist down, as an ambulance worker, that more or less could put him out of work.. it's shocking!

[@donwoodward7944]

They don't "want" to drive drunk. They usually simply think they are sober enough to drive. I let one of my friends (who was clearly drunk) drive home one night. Somehow he convinced me he'd be fine. He made it home, but I've always felt guilty about it. I should have insisted on driving him home, but he lived pretty far out of my way. Even though nothing bad happened, I've always regretted my decision and if I'm ever in that situation again, I'll never let the person drive. I worried about him for the rest of the night and called him first thing in the morning to make sure he was OK. I made the wrong choice and we both got lucky. My heart goes out to anyone who has lost someone to a drunk driver. Look out for your friends and relatives, especially with the holidays approaching, and do anything you can to prevent a senseless tragedy! It's always worth it. Go the extra mile.

[@John-ns9lr]

Yeah unfortunately they have very lax rules regarding drunk driving in the US for some reason.

[@lunayoshi]

@@John-ns9lr this was the '80s though and laws have gotten much stricter since then, so that's something at least.

[@John-ns9lr]

@@lunayoshi most states have pretty high allowed alcohol levels still. And seems to be more socially acceptable to be drunk driving as well

[@laurabaker8832]

I was living in Cincinnati when this accident occurred. Personally, I would not have let Mahoney out of prison until he had served a year for every life he took. It wasn't a mistake. He made a deliberate choice to drive drunk.

[@pcguy13x]

i remember the day he was released, 09-01-1999. i was so pissed. his sentence was not strong enough, and then still let him out early. he served less than 6 months per person that died. i was hoping he would have been charged 27 counts of murder, and had gotten life. i remember being shocked he was charged with 27 counts of manslaughter instead.

[@StrazdasLT]

He is a mass murderer. The only correct punishment is a capital one.

[@aceclover758]

@@pcguy13x because it was manslaughter, not murder

[@UncleKennysPlace]

But he didn't make the deliberate choice to take lives. And that's the point.

[@UncleKennysPlace]

@@aceclover758 Yep. Emotion doesn't belong in the justice system (though lawyers on both sides use it all the time.)

[@cebbi1313]

Have any other fans of this channel found themselves becoming hyper aware of emergency exits and fire hazards?

[@bladergroen]

YEP. I always check where the nearest emergency exit is, wherever I am, and I even scan my surroundings to see if anything's made of flammable material.

[@donwoodward7944]

Totally. My son rides a special needs bus to school every day. I'm going to be giving it the once-over this morning...

[@reachandler3655]

Yes, I'm also hyper aware that being in a wheelchair not only reduces my chances of escape, but would probably cause significant problems for others in the event of an emergency, so resign myself to waiting til everyone else is out, with the knowledge that may well be a death sentence.

[@ibahart3771]

I always was. I've been the "annoying health-and-safety nag" in every workplace I've had

[@cebbi1313]

@@reachandler3655 Emergency protocol for disabled patrons: In event of fire, politely burn to death. Funny, the protocol for covid was roughly the same.

[@Cincinnatus1869]

I'm from Ohio County Indiana, just about 25 minutes from Carrollton and was a high school freshman when this happened. It was absolutely awful to hear about it. It's still the most terrible traffic accident I've ever heard of. We had a substitute teacher one day about a year later who was one of the motorists who was at the scene. I can tell you with all credibility that a lot of us who lived in the area had a different view of the dangers of driving drunk . There were plenty of people who thought Larry Mahoney should have been locked up for the rest of his life.

[@foxracing8973]

As a kid in the 90s in the US, I remember my school bus having the same windows that you described. They had 2 small tab things you had to push in towards the middle with both hands. As a kid it took all the strength you had to get them open, if you were even strong enough in the first place to do it, which a lot of kids weren't at that age. They would constantly get stuck or one of the tab things would break and you couldn't even open them..

[@con6951]

God that’s terrible

[@daffers2345]

I hated those windows. My sibs and I went to private school up through 3rd grade, and the bus ride home was nearly two hours with a bus change at the high school. I was always too small and weak to open the windows myself, so I roasted a lot on those buses. I can't imagine what would have happened if there was a fire, especially on those older buses they used back in the day.

[@andrewware8292]

Do they not still use those? How are they now?

[@briannem.6787]

@@andrewware8292 In most countries, school buses are normal city buses with the top part of the window being hinged inwards by 45 degrees to let air in and stop arms being stuck out. In America, I imagine they have some one-handed latch and an oiled metal track to let the window slide easily instead of jamming (how innovative... a metal track!) Those American school buses are scary. Those things scream "the lowest-cost bidder built this"! Why don't they buy normal buses but with more seats and less standing room, like school buses in Australia? When the school run isn't being done, they can be used for other purposes like excursions by schools and aged care facilities, tourism, spare buses to run bus routes, etc.

[@mommyjohnson3306]

I remember in my HS days, '09-'12 they had these same types of windows

[@hallows7568]

As someone who has been in the area several times, I heard many things about this story. Along with it, I could've never been born as a result. Both of my parents had the opportunity to be on the trip, but because of the circumstance of strict parents (my grandparents) , they hadn't ended up going. It really is interesting how much this ended up changing how people treated busses and the trips after.

[@escapedcops08]

Your parents are brother and sister? That makes sense given the locals in the area.

[@hallows7568]

@@escapedcops08 lmao no. They both just had parents that were strict

[@nickkerr5714]

Did they conceive you on this day?

[@hallows7568]

@@nickkerr5714 nop

[@aloysiusdevanderabercrombi470]

@@escapedcops08 Quit with the disrespectful stupidity.

[@vespurrs]

I'm sitting on my school bus somewhere outside Cincinnati, on layover while I wait to pick up my third route for the morning. This one hits very close to home, being born and raised in this area. I was a senior in high school when this happened, and I remember everyone looking and feeling like a zombie the next day, not quite able to believe what happened. It was a shocking and devastating loss, but one I also haven't thought about in a long time. Now as I sit here on my bus with all its safety features and multiple emergency exits, I can only hope that no one experiences anything like that ever again.

[@RealBradMiller]

I got to know every one of my bus drivers through the years. Thanks for all you do!

[@vespurrs]

@@RealBradMiller I did the same! I think they were a greater influence on me than they realized. Thank you so much for your kind words - they made my day! :)

[@brandycarter9829]

When I was a child in elementary school, the bus driver that drove my route home from school was an older man, in his 60s probably, who always gave me a piece of candy, (Atomic Fireballs, to be exact) during the ride home. He always had a bag of them under his seat. He was a friendly & caring man, and I always liked to sit right behind him. My home was the bus’s last stop, I grew up in the country and was literally the last kid off the school bus. If I dozed off, he would wake me up and tell me I was home. This would’ve been in the early to mid 90’s, and now as an adult that man & his Atomic Fireballs remain a fond memory. I do not know that man’s name, but his kindness has stuck with me my entire life ❤️

[@aba4055]

These videos are such an important reminder for me to never do anything dangerous in the mindset of "it'll probably be fine!"

[@soshiangel90]

parent: "hey Ford...can you just...do the right thing and make sure this doesn't happen to any other kids in the future?" Ford:...."uh..no. take your hush money or nothing."

[@quanage4296]

@@sed6657 why have a tone indicator lmao

[@davidhollenshead4892]

Ford only made the chassis for use as school buses as well as other purposes such as a stake side trucks. A different company entirely used the Ford chassis to build the school bus. The big issue is how cheap school districts are, by insisting on cheap gasoline powered school buses, not being willing to pay for seat belts, etc. etc....

[@nathanwilliams4005]

The hush money was probably much cheaper.

[@DolleHengst]

@@nathanwilliams4005 Yeah, like it was cheaper to let the Pinto's burn and compensate the victims or their families, then to make a small change to all Pinto's to significantly improve the car's safety...

[@squeakychairproductions6813]

Why should they have to? That was an older bus that was being held to modern standards. When you buy an older vehicle you know what you are getting.

[@SlenderSingerSS]

I am from Covington, my Assistant Principle in high school was one of the survivors, I learned alot from him, and learned that quite a few of the kids ended up being bus drivers.

[@joela8839]

The many crush videos on FH and the Astroworld disaster sadly reminds us what happens when we don't learn from others mistakes

[@charlotteinnocent8752]

I would love it if someone added up all the crushing disaster deaths and showed what could have helped all in one report. Seems there always is a new story happening even after previous disasters where steps have been taken to "prevent such a tragedy ever happening again."

[@LMB222]

English. Do you speak it?

[@joela8839]

@@LMB222 do you need it simplified? No shame in it

[@danw2112]

Plus the American football player who drove drunk and killed that young woman in Las Vegas last week.

[@saraz5635]

@Joby Fluorine on that subject, too*

[@YokozunaNumber1]

I have family in Carrollton, and so I've seen the crash sight countless times. It's always a somber moment when I pass the sign that indicate the exact spot of the crash. 34 years later, the shadow of the tragedy still looms large over Carroll County.

[@thecarolinianrailfan8339]

I’ve actually drove past the exact location where that accident took place on I-71 while on vacation in Kentucky and Ohio in 2019 and even followed a route similar to the one the bus took, but heading from Louisville, KY to a Great Wolf Lodge in Mason, OH located right next to King’s Island. I hadn’t even heard about this incident until I watched this video. This incident showed some of the consequences of drunk driving - it can put your life, and possibly the lives of several others, in extreme danger. RIP to all the victims who died in that horrific crash.

[@kehberlin]

As soon as you put up the date, I knew what was coming. As a 10-year-old Kentuckian at the time, I vividly remember overhearing my aunt telling my mom what had happened and being horrified learning how those kids died. The buses changed after that, and I always associate the new exits with this horrible tragedy.

[@v-town1980]

The title of the video didn't give you a clue?

[@newbienoah9461]

@@v-town1980 Well maybe they only knew the date and not the title of the incident?

[@leeriches8841]

@@v-town1980 no need to act smart here

[@dr.archaeopteryx5512]

I was sad about all the children already when the video began, but seeing the survivor look relatively happy kinda made me feel a bit less bad. I hope he and his co-survivors are at least living their best lives now.

[@drexsamson3762]

I’m from Kentucky, and this story is still told every year to public school students across the state. I even got to meet a couple of the survivors when they came to speak at my school, what a terrible ordeal they had to live through Don’t drink and drive.

[@AEMoreira81]

I believe one of the survivors, or a parent of one killed, ended up becoming the national president of MADD as well.

[@gungirlftw]

I'm a school bus driver and when I was going through my training they talked alot about this accident due to how many safety standards it brought into effect. Also on most buses the fuel tank now sits between the frame rails down the length of the bus so it can't be punctured by a suspension spring like it did in this one. And while the seats are improved they will still completely burn in roughly 2 mins. Thats why bus fire drills have to be done so quick, you have to get everyone off in under 2 mins. Not to mention the seats will release toxic fumes when they burn due to the fireproofing.

[@equarg]

Yep. That’s why “fire resistant” not fire proof materials are used in most (like commercial) aircraft. At high altitudes, the fireproofing chemicals can evaporate into toxic fumes in low PSI environments. “Fire resistant” means it can resist flames and ignition for a certain time in most cases.

[@daniellebuehner8441]

I too drove school buses years ago and I remember hearing about this and also in our class room training we talked and viewed this video.of the crash.. we were taught to see farther ahead down the road to help prevent accidents like this from happening. I was sadden about the kids who died in that crash and I always put my kids first.. Driving a bus when its dark outside is dangerous if your not paying attention.. I always had a rule for my kids keep the noise level to a class room level or they wont get the music from the radio most of the time my kids were well behaved. and yet we practice our safety drills at least once a month and I would send letters to the parents letting them know of the day and also that they will be a few minutes late getting home. and in fact I had 4 kids in wheel chairs so my bus aide would help me getting wheel chair kids off the bus while we had a designated older student who shows good responsibility skills to watch the others close by to where we can see the kids.. .. yes I see newer buses are coming out with not just one roof hatch but 2 or 3 depending on size of the bus and 2 or 3 window exits on each side. our drills would practice opening and shutting of these but we did our exit out both front and rear exits. I hope only that kids in the future will be kept even safer then kids of yesterday.

[@communistpootisbirb]

" the seats will release toxic fumes when they burn due to the fireproofing" Ironic

[@forgenorman3025]

@@daniellebuehner8441 I was born in 84 and was in kindergarten in 89-90. I still remember doing a couple of fire drills even at that young age, never thought twice about it coming about from this tragedy. Thing is it wasn't sustained, could have just been my school system but after I think second grade we didn't have any more. Thank you for the care you show your kids, too many bus drivers didn't seem to care.

[@daniellebuehner8441]

@@communistpootisbirb actually they are coming with new fabrics and materials that are flame resistance but without the toxic chemical.. its better on a 2022 school than a 2002 school bus I remember the bus I rode to school and back had only one emergency exit the rear.. and also the service door and the windows were stationary no side exits or roof hatches and non flame resistance matierials on our seats.. of course in our district there were very few accidents involving a school how they do happen we had 2 or 3 in a 20 year span.. the first one I can remember when a cement truck was turning into the cement plant and slid on ice into a passing school bus and took out the driver's side fender and tire, then the next one was when a young girl went to stop behind the school bus with lights on also on ice slid into the back of the bus under the rear bumper, totalled her car out but not the bus but sadly if a school bus recieve over x amount of dollars in damage it was taken out of service, then. and last accident I can recall when our bus driver was approaching to a stop he had also slid into the ditch causing damage to the right front including service door. it too totalled the bus as it hit a tree and nearly tip over on its side. thankfully the tree kept us from flipping over .. but the bus was damaged to beyond repair.

[@lisablais7913]

Just reading through the comments and I can't believe how many people have stories of knowing survivors or of growing up in the area. It's amazing how many were affected.

[@mishalesauer5074]

Funny how despite the tragedies and somber topics, watching these videos really helps turn a crappy day around Really grateful for this channel existing ❤️

[@kathyjones1576]

That is true. Even though he covers disasters, I love seeing a notification that I have a new video to watch. He does tell about any changes that came out of it though, so he ends them on a positive note. It's also nice that he tells the stories in a respectful way, with no dramatics.

[@shitsquirrel9]

@@kathyjones1576 Respectful without dramatics is probably the main reason his channel is so good and so sucessful. He keeps his content simple, quality, and entertaining. I dont know I want to watch these, but I learn a lot. The most preventable disasters I learn about the less faith I have in humanity and the more aware and cautious I become.

[@kathyjones1576]

@@shitsquirrel9 yes, I agree. He puts so much detail into these short documentaries, he does it respectfully, just plain old good storytelling. I'm surprised he doesn't have more subscribers. I've been telling people about this channel, and I know I've got a couple interested.

[@theresapennington7584]

I remember this so well. I grew up in Northern Kentucky and was 8 when this happened. Whenever I drive past the accident site on 71 southbound I say a prayer for those who were killed.

[@cathychilders5109]

I remember this crash all to well, was living in Louisville, KY at the time. I was working the counter at a dry cleaners. One of our regular customers was a cop, he had been called to assist with the wreck. He brought his uniform in to be cleaned, his uniform was covered with ash and dried blood. He told us first hand what had happened. The young man that you quoted had become a University of Kentucky football player and was really good.

[@gwendolyn6408]

16 years? That’s not even a year per life he took. And he only served 10 of that. That’s so infuriating.

[@ljay2823]

Yet, the norm.

[@Lucivius27]

Norm for white guys.

[@nicholasschroeder3678]

It's disgusting. The guy even had a trail: he tried to get off.

[@cyberleaderandy1]

It makes you wonder how many future lives were saved by those amendments to current and future busses, that happened as a result of this tragedy. Hopefully some good came of this terrible tragedy.

[@marvindebot3264]

Safety regulations are written in blood, always have been, always will be.

[@cyberleaderandy1]

@@marvindebot3264 very true. As improvements since the likes of the Clapham rail crash have shown.

[@Berchol]

Even before the end of the video I thought “if at least the fuel tank had diesel instead of gasoline”… glad to know it was adopted later on.

[@blazerocker1734]

I'll never forget that man's name. My family had taken a yearly trip to Kings Island since I was born in the 70s. We drove that interstate every time and our next trip would be in September of 88'. From then on those trips became just a tad less joyful. I can only hope that the story and the roadside markers at the accident site made people reconsider drinking and driving.

[@articat568]

Being from Cincinnati I can only say, this story has been the one that they use to prevent drunk driving in kids since I can remember, Always stuck with me

[@klauswolf9449]

The law is much too lenient on drunk drivers. Mr. Mahoney may not have driven with intent to kill, but anyone with any propriety or common sense knows what the effects of DUI may be. Casually accepting these for the benefit of personal pleasure was grossly negligent and should have been punished far more severely. A measly 4,5 months for each person who perished - not to mention those he scarred for life - is outrageous in my opinion and no effective deterrent to fellow-drinkers who exhibit equal egocentric indifference.

[@mrs.h2725]

Unfortunately the way the American justice system is set up is for profit, not protection of the public. They know statistically that DUI offenders are likely to reoffend, so they usually get little to no jail time. More arrests, more probation = mo money 💰. Had a friend who was a young mother of 4 killed by a drunk driver who’d already been arrested for 6 DUIs but always let off easy.

[@StainsStainsStains]

Youre kind of right. As someone who has driven when i shouldnt have many times in the past, this event hasnt made me feel ashamed of my actions nor make me fear legal repurcussions. I wouldnt want to live life with this hanging over my head though and thats probably the main deterrent for me.

[@StainsStainsStains]

@@mrs.h2725 "likely to reoffend" Theyre not though. A DUI charge WILL change your life significantly for the negative and it will follow you the rest of your life. A person who made a stupid decision one night and got pulled over slightly above the limit and faced the wrath of the legal system is unlikely to ever choose that option again and these types of people make up the majority of DUI incidents. Only the stupidest, most dedicated, "no F- given" people will reoffend. Also i dont know what state you live in but 3 or 4 DUI charges will result in never being able to legally drive again. Theres no way someone got a slap on the wrist for a 6th DUI charge. I dont know for sure but thats felony levels and Significant with a capital "S" jail time. Either they were driving illegally when that happened or the story is bs.

[@sludge4125]

@@mrs.h2725 Please provide those statistics.

[@muffs55mercury61]

There was a guy in 2008 who hit a van and killed five people (two kids, an aunt, uncle and a grandparent) not far from me. It was his 7th DWI offense. He got 25 years but was paroled around 2016. He would be in his 50s now, lot of living left while the five others are dead.

[@MTMFan]

Now I see why they had us do bus safety as a kid! I was in grade school around this time.

[@katiefyock9607]

I remember having to do drills and jump out of the back of the bus.

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

But still, no seat belts...eye roll

[@julesc1989]

I had no idea about this disaster but I’m glad they taught us like 6 ways to jump out of a bus during drills

[@yesterdaydream]

@@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823 One of my schools had buses with seat belts...we would loosen them as far as they'd go and then swing around in the sweats

[@MsMedford]

Same i remember too

[@movieholic-92]

Have you covered the 2018 Humboldt Broncos bus crash? It happened in Canada, I believe, but we heard about it in the States. Keep up the great work, man!

[@ZeitGeist_TV]

Crazy he only served 10 years in prison for 27 killed regardless of it being an accident that is straight bullshyt.

[@v-town1980]

Yup, the system is f##ked. Cosby is free now. Smh.

[@evil1by1]

It isn't an accident if you choose to be reckless.

[@samhouston1288]

@@v-town1980 Cosby is free because the justice system made him a promise that they didn't keep. As distasteful as that promise was, them being force to keep it is in the grand scheme of things, a good thing. They should not be able to lie to you in order for you to give up your right to remain silent. Allowing them to get away with that just because Cosby is a horrible person that deserves to be in prison sets a horrible precedent. In that case, the justice system worked exactly as it should have. Edit: Cosby, not Crosby.

[@justpde]

@@samhouston1288 I think Bing is deceased !

[@PercyPruneMHDOIFandBars]

@Michael Simmons: I have to disagree with you on one point. That was no accident. It was murder pure and simple. For ANYONE to decide to drive drunk is an act so recklessly dangerous that any death or injury caused should be treated as murder or attempted murder.

[@xenotbbbeats7209]

I was briefly a school bus driver. Luckily, I heard this story the first time, after I changed jobs. The worst tragedies are the ones involving children.

[@Whisper_292]

I always find it interesting that people feel the need to apologize or make excuses for enjoying this channel and watching stories of other disasters. It's human nature to be fascinated with the macabre, whether fictional or real-life. Things like this make you feel alive, and it sparks the imagination and makes you think. There is nothing wrong with that interest, and there is no need to apologize or justify your interest. I remember exactly where I was when I heard about this accident. It was a huge tragedy for everyone, especially us in the Louisville area, and anyone who rode on a schoolbus before 1988 can imagine the difficulty of getting off that bus, if not the terror those kids felt. There is a sign marking the site of the crash to this day. Never forget.

[@kimberlyokeeffe5360]

This accident not only changed the requirements for school buses in KY but across the country. I was a school bus driver in MA and the next year ALL of our gas buses were replaced by diesel's. I am also old enough to have witness the changes that this kind of accident does. Unfortunately, the pattern I see is that it takes this kind of tragedy to make most of the safety changes we now take for granted from our personal and commercial vehicles to impaired operating laws.

[@Roz-90]

I grew up in Louisville, KY, a city to the southwest of Cincinnati, OH. We would periodically go on our own bus trips King's Island, and we were told about this tragedy every time we passed where it happened. It's always eerie to pass the site.

[@ashleychilders6372]

If this channel has taught me anything, it’s to completely avoid Kings Island.

[@Alisonws]

I know right?! 🎢😬🚌

[@tammycosby4495]

I was wondering about the age of the bus. It looked like the ones we rode back in the 70s. The ones now are almost totally different than the ones back then as far as safety and ways of escape. The most shocking thing to me was the guy was only sentenced to 16 years and served less than 10 - for the deaths of 27 people. I know. I know. People will say it wasn’t totally his fault. It wasn’t intentional. He didn’t know what he was doing. That’s great, for him. But what about the families of those 27 dead people who’ve already spent 33 years without their loved ones. That’s more than twice his original sentence. 27X33 Christmases. 27X33 Thanksgivings. 27X33 birthdays, not counting other family members’ birthdays. Dozens of weddings and births, not counting their own weddings and possible future children. I understand that maybe 1 mistake shouldn’t define a person’s life - but his defined 27 innocent young lives.

[@AEMoreira81]

1977…just days before stricter rules were to take effect.

[@AwkwardKidAdventures]

You know. My first reaction to Ford refusing the recall was disgust, but I realized I couldn't be surprised. Given the way they covered up the Pinto's deadly design flaw, with internal memos going so far as to say it was cheaper to pay lawsuits than to fix all those cars, of COURSE they wouldn't fix those buses.

[@glidershower]

Good point!

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

Nothing changed. They did the EXACT same thing with the Crown Vic. Jammed door locks, too. Look up Unsafe at Any Speed by Ralph Nader and Still Unsafe at Any Speed by Brian Chase. You'll see, same sh*t, different day.

[@excavatoree]

Ford had nothing to do with the seat material, or the lack of exits. They only built the chassis. Superior coach built the body, which includes the seats. Ford couldn't have met those demands, because the body wasn't theirs. Most of these busses are sold by the body maker, who purchases the chassis as "incomplete vehicles."

[@laurelsilberman5705]

Jesus. Can you imagine drunk driving and as a result you wind up killing almost 30 people? My worst nightmare is getting in a sober driving accident that injures anybody; I cannot imagine how it felt waking up in the hospital and learning that the consequences of your actions now had a 27-person body count. Made me shudder. I’m glad buses were at the very least updated to be much safer. Another great video, my man! I wait for each upload. Your consistency of such a high quality is unparalleled when it comes to coverage of this topic. I like that you never just cover the accident; you also cover the resultant litigation(s) along with any changes that occurred in the wake of the tragedy. Keep it up. 👌🏽✨😁❤️

[@dellahicks7231]

Not that the driver of the semi that hit the Humboldt Broncos hockey team bus was impaired, but he was still sentenced to 8 years for pleading guilty to Dangerous Driving Causing Death & Bodily Harm. Sixteen people were killed, thirteen injured, in a crash that shook our province of Saskatchewan to its core, it happened approx 150 kms from my home on April 06, 2018. Sticks On The Ice Boys, RIP. 🏒

[@nicholasschroeder3678]

And he only served 10.years for it. Disgusting

[@laurelsilberman5705]

@@nicholasschroeder3678 I KNOW!!! Dude belongs behind bars forever for what he did. For shame.

[@lambchop33]

There’s a sign that I often pass when I’m driving on I-71 commemorating this crash. I hadn’t heard of it before I drove past that sign, and turns out my parents remember seeing it on the local news as we live in Kentucky! So thankful for your videos, as always, they’re super informative. I appreciate you covering this one

[@smartysmarty1714]

I rode one of these death busses from the 60's on through high school. Even then, we knew if there was an accident, things weren't going to end well.

[@erikaenander5374]

Every single life a drunk driver causes is, and will soon be so in law, intentional and at a minimum some species of murder. The drunk driver chose to drink, chose to put themselves in a position where they could drive after drinking, chose not to call a cab, Uber, or even a friend, chose to get behind the wheel, chose to operate what is now their weapon, and chose to break the law. With what the public knows now, or should know, is that their driving is lethally dangerous. You cause a crash and a death, then you chose to drive when you knew you were doing so impaired, or put another way, just unable to drive safely.

[@welcometothemonkeyapezone7797]

I graduated in 2016, and up until my grad year I rode in these exact model year of busses. Nearly impossible to open windows, 30cm wide hallway, flammable seats. Good memories.

[@ellebelle6410]

Me and my friends were at King's Island that very day. We decided to leave before the park closed, and our route home was the exact one of this tragic accident. I've always been grateful that we ended up being just in front of the accident as he could have struck our car, or we could have been held up for hours in the long stretch of traffic behind it.

[@pamelaleigh4225]

How Inconvenient that would have been

[@B.H.56]

Last time I was on a school bus was in the 1970's. I remember the driver telling us about "kick-out" windows for emergency escapes. Wasn't that a standard feature?

[@embyratwood690]

I just talked to my boyfriend’s mom about this. We live in the area and she recalled when it happened, she actually sees some of the survivors around town. They recently put up a memorial between Radcliff and Elizabethtown, my bf passes it every day on his way to and from work. It’s tragic and literally close to home for me.

[@chadhOneAtl]

Whoever was that “friend” who gave the keys back should also feel a measure of guilt and it should be difficult to sleep at night for them.

[@OddityDK]

I’m sure they did.

[@aloysiusdevanderabercrombi470]

I'm not sure how that friend wasn't charged with aiding and abetting.

[@samuelmccarter4659]

Nope, it's their car, their life, their choice. If they wanna throw it all away its on THEM

[@OddityDK]

@@samuelmccarter4659 Taking the key from someone who is too drunk to drive isn’t just about protecting that individual, it’s also out of concern for the people who he might harm. It could be someone’s wife, brother, child etc. It could be you! Whoever that friend was, he isn’t feeling guilt because the driver “threw his life away”. It isn’t about the driver 🙄

[@samuelmccarter4659]

@@OddityDK yes it is. It's all on the driver they are an ADULT they should know there limit or at least learn how to drive while drunk. It is not mine or your responsibility to make choices for them (I'm not talking about the moral obligation towards friends thats slightly different)

[@mairiking8089]

Drunk driving incidents really horrify me because people dont choose to commit a DUI, they just think theyre sober enough to drive because theyre so hammered.

[@Jared_Wignall]

You do a great job of conducting these documentaries. Keep up the great work!

[@williamstamper442]

I remember when this happened I saw it in national tv. Every time I pass thru that area I pay attention to the little road sign "site of fatal bus crash" and say a little prayer. Edit : also I believe this accident made way for the required strobe lights you see on top of school busses all over the country, after this incident.

[@finnneganfox]

Another bus disaster you might be interested in is the Konginkangas bus disaster, which killed 23 young people and was due to quite an extraordinary example of wrong place and wrong time

[@kurtthewicked9009]

I so remember this. A week later my high school senior class took a trip to Kings Island from Columbus.

[@Foxyreacts444]

I live here in Kentucky and went to kings island that weekend. Mr Mahoney lives a reclusive live away from the public. The spot was easily seen on the road until a few years ago when they reblacktooped it. It happened in the high speed lane. Children as young as 11 died. The bus was towed away with charred bodies still inside. May 14, 1988.

[@dmgszn]

I also met Mr. Harold at VOV victory over violence conference in Louisville, KY back in 2015. His story truly is sad. room was full of probably 1,500 people or so and it was so silent during his speech you could hear a pen drop.. he said "where you sat on the bus that day, depicted your fate....." that was deep

[@ileolai]

there's few things i hate more than drunk drivers. i cannot imagine how anyone could forgive what he did.

[@mothsanchez944]

Literally. Not only that, but he refuses to speak on the matter nowadays. Completely doesn’t acknowledge it

[@sandybruce9092]

In January 1973 I was 25 and single, on a date with a new guy. We were driving slower than usual,because of the previous rain. We were hit head in by a drunk driver in the wrong side of the street. The only thing that save me and my date were safety belts which I had never worn before. The drunk driver was thrown through his windshield and died. Since shoulder restrains were not available yet, I sustained a concussion and badly sprained ankle plus a few bruises from the seat belt. I don’t remember anything about the accident except for the drunk’s headlights coming at me. To this day I will never be in a vehicle with anyone who has had even one drink, including my husband and family. I am appalled that this drunk driver only got 16 years which he didn’t serve entirely. He should have been in jail for life as driving drunk and causing an accident is just plain murder in my book. His friends who gave back his keys should be feeling more than responsible for causing the death of 27 people, Including so many children. Thanks for listening to me.

[@jlongino51823]

I’m local to this and the way it changed my life and the school buses and the laws about things in the aisles was astronomical.

It was a peaceful and perfectly happy group that made its way homewards…. 😬 😬 😬

[@AyshaPaige]

I did a presentation on school bus safety in high school, but I never realized how unsafe buses were before. I definitely took those 9 exits for granted.

[@midgetwthahacksaw]

Holy Shit! I can't believe you did this one! My Mother was a first responder for this tragedy. It still effects her today and, throughout my childhood, she never let us ride a bus if she could help it. Edit: To this day she can't go past the scene. The one time we did, she had a PTSD flashback and a very bad one at that. We avoid that route for her benefit.

[@robsterTN]

I’m from Kentucky and I vividly remember this incident. It influenced changes in bus construction, safety training for students, and the emphasis on DUI enforcement. I heard a talk from the lead investigator for the crash and the details are horrific.

[@AEMoreira81]

Kentucky now requires 9 emergency exits on its school buses as a result, and mandates that all school buses be powered by diesel now (this was a gasoline powered bus).

[@Brab831]

I pass this crash site everyday. There is a sign on the side of the road where it happened. Most people pass by it and don’t even think about what happened that terrible night. RIP to the 27 victims

[@cruzloera4931]

Al these disasters are awful but this one hits the hardest. 10-17 year olds away from home. Imagine thinking your kid is out having fun and then getting the call that they burned to death?

[@ParadymShiftVegan]

It's incredible how many stories of horrific fires occur before people think to use non-flammable materials.

[@tabittheha]

It blows my mind that the drunk driver only spent 10 years in prison after killing 27 people. What a joke.

[@yesipan]

and most of them being children no less

[@benjaminosterloh3605]

The entire criminal justice system here in the States is asininely stupid. Possession of a few grams of marijuana can net you a life sentence. Child predators get 4-5 years, and only serve a fraction of that time. In 2017, several teenagers were sentenced for killing someone after throwing a rock off a bypass with all the culprits laughing and joking about it even after news broke. As of 2021, they’ve all been set free.

[@GunnerRDS]

i mean, ten years is a long time for something unintentional. Horrible tragedy, but still manslaughter not murder

[@kiryuandgodzillagirl]

how many people including kids had to die that night all because he was drunk and stupid to get behind the wheel. He should have spent an even longer time

[@DaleDix]

@@benjaminosterloh3605 in Australia he would get a certificate. It's terrible here

[@GoofyRobo]

I frequently drive thru this site on 71. I think about this accident every time. I remember when this happened.

[@theprinceofallsaiyans5830]

I feel that the most disturbing part is that the bus, which was created specifically as a school bus. Was done so knowingly using flammable material for the seats, no special safety’s in critical areas. And done so by non other than a monster company still in play today, Ford.

[@nedludd7622]

This raises the question of what is "intentional". One one level it is someone who wants to kill others. Then there are other levels. Getting drunk and then driving I would too describe as "intentional". If not today, then tomorrow, or the day after, etc. It is just a lottery about whom you will kill. The same goes for cell phone use while driving. Everyone should see the short documentary by Werner Herzog, "From One Second To The Next". kzbin.info/www/bejne/jpyUp3anm76jpdU

[@evil1by1]

At best it's Russian roulette, you know it could happen you just don't know when or if it's today.

[@agoo7581]

And the thing is, it wasn't just poor judgement, or a guy who thought he was sober. He drove to the another store, bought alcohol, and was drinking it while driving home. That is negligent enough to be simply murder and nothing else.

[@AdventuresWithMe00]

I lived in that area in 1988 and can say this incident created a lot of vicarious trauma in the community.

[@aldomartinez-nieto2716]

Your channel is the best dude I can’t stop watching

[@sparkplug1018]

For the life of me I will never understand these people who want older stuff recalled and updated to meet newer standards. Do they also expect every OEM to recall every vehicle they made prior to 1968 and install seat belts? Or every vehicle made prior to 1974 and install catalytic converters? Or having 2 side mirrors, or the third break light installed? All of these things have made cars safer or cleaner, but its unrealistic to even suggest that recalls be done to retrofit older vehicles.

[@ddichny]

Also, imagine how much any new vehicle would necessarily cost (to the buyer) if the manufacturer had to be legally on the hook to update that vehicle over the next 20+ years for every single new innovation or new safety reg that might ever come along in the future, year after year, including ones that might be relatively easy to build into new cars, but insane to retrofit into old cars that weren't originally designed with that feature in mind.

[@shetland990]

I think I'd prefer to live in a world where human safety wasn't weighed against a profit margin like this.

[@constanttraveler]

@@shetland990 it's not profit, it's survivability of the company. You wouldn't last long if you had to recall millions of vehicles to install every new safety feature that is introduced every year

[@sparkplug1018]

@@shetland990 Nothing to do with profit margin. Its impossible to sustain any company if you are required to retrofit and upgrade every product you've ever sold for an almost indefinite amount of time. Safety standards change and improve over time, as does the amount of risk people are willing to live with. What was perfectly acceptable in the 50's would never be sold today. Are the OEM's responsible to upgrade those cars in your opinion? Lets not even get into the fact that, no, I am NOT letting the OEM alter my classic car like that.

[@americansmark]

@@shetland990 the only person responsible for keeping you safe is you.

[@Brian-mp2mv]

I'm glad he went on to explain that diesel was a better alternative than gasoline, and less explosive. That was my first thought when he mentions gasoline fire. I've lived in a 40' 1989 Retired Air Force Ambulance since 2016, although it is not driven regularly, I've got two diesel fuel tanks that are protected by large diameter thick walled pipe. Alternatively, it's got double doors at the back (for gurneys) and only 6 windows down each side which fully open as fire exits, instead of the smaller school bus style windows. I've found the mate to my bus online, but it's the only one.

[@barryphillips7327]

A very very sad story especially for me I drove urban buses which brings this story a little bit closer to home!!😞😢😞😢 CURSE DRUNK DRIVERS it is UNFORGIVABLE too me!! Nothing can bring back the lost lives!!!!!!!!!!

[@bigscarybear2410]

My father had 3 friends on that bus. He tells me he still remembers walking into class and them no longer being there. My girlfriend also knows one of the survivors personally. He was her bus driver at North

[@rhondaarnesen6684]

I remember the buses changing. I remember it was due to a horrific accident. I liked the newer buses, and the drills we did to know how to unload in an emergency....This is why those changes happened. Safety standards seems to be written in blood all too often.

[@reizak8966]

Fascinating horror: "associate pastor..." My tired brain: "a sociopath??"

[@fitflik4784]

There’s a great documentary on this that interviews the family members and survivors on Amazon. Really interesting to hear their stories of life afterwards.

[@robgooserothermel392]

I'm from Radcliff,KY. and was a junior in h.s., knew those who survived and lost their lives... The following school day was Soo eery cuz there was just silence in the halls and sobbing.. the night of, a few of us were about in town and started noticing a bunch of limos coming thru late...

[@mayanightstar]

I can't even imagine what the families went through but it helps a little to know that this led to a higher standard of safety for countless kids in the country

[@Rapidly_]

If I get killed by a drunk driver and my family forgives him I'm coming back to haunt them. "He didn't do it intentionally and he paid for it" bullshit, he was intentionally driving drunk. He knew he was drunk and still demanded to get behind the wheel. That's intentional. And he didn't pay, he's still alive. He didn't lose any of his loved ones in the crash. He didn't even serve his full sentence.

[@ajh6354]

I read about this story. The drunk driver's friends and neighbors raised money for his defense.

[@Amarrente]

Disgusting :(

[@marvindebot3264]

May they burn in Helheim.

[@weerwolfproductions]

@@marvindebot3264 Totally not on topic, but if you do try to reference Norse mythology at least try and read up on it before you put something down. There was no burning in Hel's domain. Niflheim was just rainy, misty, and dreary, the hearth wasn't on and the food tasted bland and the mead was watered down. Burning in the afterlife is very much a Christian invention. The Vikings' idea of a bad afterlife was being cold.

[@marvindebot3264]

@@weerwolfproductions It's an expression that's all. If you prefer the word "suffer" will do but not be understood by unbelievers. Don't lecture me on my religion, please.

[@weerwolfproductions]

@@marvindebot3264 There was no suffering. It was just dreary. Boring. Cold. The Proze and Poetic Eddas have several scenes set in Niflheim. Go read up on your 'religion'. You're getting it wrong if you think the dead suffered in Niflheim as badly as you make it out by using 'burning' to compare it with the Christian Hell. I wouldn't have needed to lecture you if you'd bothered to actually read the source material on the mythology instead of popular interpretations. The worse thing that happens to the dead in Niflheim is that they get compulsed by Hel to fight on the side of Surtur and the other baddies at the End Time. Except for the gods that were in Niflheim (Baldr and Hodr), they'll fight on the side of the gods and will help form the new world. You don't get to take my legacy and twist it in something it's not without getting corrected.

[@Pokemon9876543210]

This is one of those cases where, yes, the drunk driving was the literal main culprit -- but the circumstances leading up to it are IMO the real issue. 1) While more of an abstract -- and, thankfully, society has started to work on this -- drunk driving is a symptom of a much larger problem around the culture of alcohol abuse. In the (late) 80s there was even less understanding of that compared to now, but it's something we've needed to address for far longer than we have. Blaming drunk driving solely on the drunk drivers themselves is correct in legal proceedings and for the victims when considering justice, but has, as a general policy, allowed lawmakers and lobbyists to avoid do anything about it structurally. 2) I think the Ford companies actions here speak for themselves. In fact, I'd even consider them far more culpable in a moral and ethical sense than even the drunkard, who, at the very least. served prison time and endless guilt for his crimes.

[@esquireaudits4737]

Great comment.

[@davidhollenshead4892]

Ford only made the chassis for use as school buses as well as other purposes such as a stake side trucks. A different company entirely used the Ford chassis to build the school bus. The big issue is how cheap school districts are, by insisting on cheap gasoline powered school buses, not being willing to pay for seat belts, etc. etc....

[@why110]

Capitalism is to blame, huh?

[@chrisbatson3402]

Great channel I lived in us my whole life and never heard of most all these stories. Great job!

[@marcusbuckner5582]

I know the lady well at the 5:23 mark as she consoles the gentleman that was burned. Mrs. T is a wonderful person. Sadly, it's almost always a tragedy that creates better safety measures. Did anyone think that Ford was going to recall other busses or just thumb their nose at these tragic losses? Thx ,FH.

[@timothyclark-sl4il]

That's why giant inflatable pencils aren't allowed on the bus anymore.

[@fighterpilot5105]

When I was an OTR driver I saw the memorial plaque many times beside the highway where this accident took place.

[@DanBall-bt9ui]

Wow what a sad thing.From 1980 to 1984 we did the same thing from Indiana.Always loved going there so many good times..so sorry 😢

[@Razzledazzy]

i remember reading about this once and knew then there would eventually be a video on it in this series

[@hotveganhannah]

While this is the deadliest drunk driving accident in US history and driving drunk is inexcusable, it’s important to remember that no one would have been killed had it not been for the callous disregard for human life demonstrated repeatedly by Ford. Survivors described the impact as feeling like the bus hit a deer- people were jolted awake but no injuries were caused. The accident pushed the front stairwell into the fuel tank and pierced it, which could have reasonably happened in any sort of crash. Ford knew this vehicle to be unsafe yet cost effective, and churned out many of them in a short period of time before updated safety standards came into law in 1977. For anyone interested in hearing more about this, I recommend the book Reckless Disregard by James Simon Kunen. It’s a haunting deep dive into this disaster, it’s the saddest thing I’ve ever read, and it’s something that I think about every single day. R.I.P. to those whose lives were forever lost or changed in a disaster that Ford knew was bound to happen, and simply decided not to prevent.

[@CherryFrog321]

I agree. Not that the drunk driver shouldn't have been punished for causing the crash, but Ford is definitely just as guilty for the lives lost.

[@anonymustly7818]

I remember passing a highway sign marking the crash site on a trip from Cincinnati to Mammoth Cave.

[@juiceboxhero3576]

There was a head on collision between a loaded school bus and a overloaded semi truck hauling hay bails in Blue Hill, Nebraska a few years ago. They were both on a narrow gravel road going up the same hill on either sides. Once they both hit the top of the hill it was too late. The bus and the truck collided and then both rolled down the hill killing most everyone.

[@Bungle2010]

This is my first time hearing about this accident (although given the seriousness it may have been on UK news at the time), and it gave me the chills. Not only because of the nature of it, and the ages of those involved, but because I myself was 15 in 1988, so a similar age to the victims. What's scary is not the original collision itself, although that was bad enough, but the fact that's not what killed people, but the fact they couldn't get out.

[@maddibgaming2929]

I love how you always point out some good long lasting affects if there are some. Despite how senseless it is, it at least feels like there was a profound meaning and impact by there death. Doesn’t fix it, but it helps.

[@turbo8454]

I remember seeing pictures of the fuel tank of that bus. As the right front spring shackles were sheared, the rear of the right front leaf spring pierced the front of the tank like a knife. There is a fair chance that the safety cage would not have helped in that particular situation if the spring missed, or was deflected by the cage bars.

[@gdjets]

I would have been 10 years old and riding on a bus just like that…

[@TheWingsoffury]

This story is so sad. But the saddest part is when you start to understand most of the time when it come to vehicles, death is the only time there is real change for safety!

[@MrDan11422]

I remember being 10 years old hearing about this horrible tragedy. Because I was 10 years old at the time, there would be no doubt I would have went. I remember going only a month or so before driving the same route as this bus.

[@lisablais7913]

I was just looking up information on bus crashes and sadly 2 of the worst on US history both were in Kentucky. How awful. This one in Carrollton and in 1958 Prestonburg, Kentucky. I'm Canadian and the worst bus crash in our history of has to be the Humbolt Broncos hockey team bus crash April 6th 2018 in Saskatchewan. 16 died and 13 injured. The driver of a semi truck failed to stop at a stop sign of an intersection and ploughed into the bus. It was horrific. Sadly another similarity with this case Saskatchewan has a 2nd bus crash in 1986 with the Swifty Current Broncos another hockey team. 4 people died from this crash. Its a weird and scary world.